India's Landmark Migration Survey to Uncover Challenges Faced by Movers

In November 2025, India's Statistics Ministry announced plans for a comprehensive migration survey to be conducted over the next two years. The survey, set to run from July 2026 to June 2027, will be the first of its kind in nearly two decades and aims to generate detailed estimates on migration rates, reasons for moving, and the impacts on migrants' lives.

The survey will cover the entire country, excluding some parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. A key focus will be on understanding the social, economic, political, and cultural problems faced by migrants in their new places of residence. Respondents aged 15 and above will be asked about the specific challenges they have encountered, as well as whether migration has led to improvements in areas like housing, education, healthcare, and access to basic amenities.

Another new aspect of the survey is the inclusion of "permanent" as a category for the nature of movement, in addition to temporary stays of varying durations. This reflects the growing trend of households migrating together, rather than just individual members. The last comprehensive migration survey was conducted in 2007-2008, which found higher migration rates in urban areas compared to rural areas.

The upcoming survey aims to provide policymakers with a more detailed and up-to-date understanding of internal migration patterns and the challenges faced by movers across India. The findings are expected to inform future policies and interventions to support migrant populations.